Method oe washing



March 28, 1944. J. B. DYER METHOD OF WASH IN&

Filed May 17. 1940 2 ,4 ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 28, 1944 METHOD on WASHING John B. Dyer, Dayton, 'Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, at corporation of Delaware Application May 17, 1940, Serial No. 335,748

2 Claims; (01. 8-158) This invention relates to domestic appliances.

An object of thisinvention is to prevent the deposit of scum floating on cleansing fluid upon articles to be cleansed while said cleansing fluid is being removed from said articles.

This invention is particularly applicable in the case of a clothes washing machine in which the cleansing fluid and the clothes, or other articles to be cleansed, are placed inside of a rotatable tub for the purpose of washing them by agitation of the clothes and fluid during a washing operation and for the purpose of partially drying the clothes by rotation of the tub to centrifuge the cleansing fluid from the clothes. In apparatus of this type, scum floating on the cleansing fluid generally is-deposited onthe clothes as the centrifugal operation proceeds, which. leaves the clothes in an objectionable condition. This invention is directed to the prevention of such deposit of scum on the clothes.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the. accompanyin drawing wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of an apparatus with clothes and fluid during the washing operation;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of said apparatus indicating an initial and secondary stage of fluid removal from the clothes and indieating how the scum is removed from the appa-.

ratus before it has had an opportunityto deposit on the clothes; and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of the final fluid removal from the clothes.

In practicing this invention, articles to be cleansed, such as clothes Ill, are placed within a body of cleansing fluid II, held within the tub l3. The fluid may be wash-water or rinse-water.

When the vortex is initially formed, at M, the scum floating onthe cleansing fluid tends to float to the central portion. l6 of the vortex.

This scum is removed from the vorter; before the final stages of fluid removal in such a manner that the scum is prevented from depositing on the clothes. To this end, a skimming device is provided in the tub l3 adjacent the lower central portionv of the vortex. This skimming device takes the form of an annular outlet or annular row of outlets I! connected by the passageway ing the initial centrifugal action, the clothes Ill arrange themselves alongthe vertical periphery of the tub l3 as indicated in Fig. 2, and the scum is removed at IT before it has a chance to deposit on the clothes I0.

After the scum and portions of fluid have been removedat I1, the centrifugal action is continued so that portions of ,the remaining cleansing fluid are removed at 20, in the manner indicated in Fig. 3. The remaining fluid which can be removed from centrifugal action is designated diagrammatically by the dotted line M for the purpose of indicating that the last remaining portions are being removed through the outlet 20. Any suitable type of construction capable of accomplishing the foregoing action may be used. Preferably I use a tub comprising an outer casing 22 and an inner casing 23 so arranged that a liquid discharge passage I8 is formed between the casings. Outlet means l1 and 20 connect the inside of the inner casing 23 with the outlet passage I8. With this construction, the cleansing The clothes and fluid are agitated preferably near the center of the body of fluid by means of an agitator l2, which may be of either the reciprocating type or oscillating type. The arrangement is such that the clothes and fluid may be agitated to distribute the clothes about the central vertical axis of the body of fluid, as indicated in Fig. 1, and thereafter the fluid and clothes are rotated about this vertical axis to produce a vortex in said fluid in which scum floating on the fluid is accumulated, as indicated in Fig. 2, where the initial stage of the vortex is indicated by the dotted line I while a later stage of the vortex is indicated by thellne I5.

fluid is retained in the tub l3 as long as the tube is stationary; but upon rotation, fluid flows through the outlet means I! and 2|! into the passage l8 and is discharged at the rim l9 into the trough 25. The capacity of the outlet means I! is suflicient to remove the scum l6 and a portion of the cleansing fluid before there is opportunity for the scum to be deposited onthe clothes. The discharge capacity of outlet means I! and 20 are therefore so proportioned that while outlets and 20 start to discharge liquid simultaneously, a substantial discharge of scum and liquid takes place at H before the surface of the vortex reaches the clothes.

The inner casing 23 preferably is rounded at the bottom, as indicated at 26, and rounded or inwardly flared at the top, as indicated at 21 to direct the clothes to the outer vertical periphery during the centrifuging action, as indicated in Fig. 2.

The agitating means l2 preferably is centrally located and is movable independently of the tub and while the tub is stationary. 'I prefer to use a vertically reciprocable agitator having more or lessthe shapeof a cone with a flexible, rubberlike rim 26 although any other type may be used,

such as a vaned agitator oscillatable about a vertical axis, as is well understood.- This agitator is reciprocated or oscillated by means of the shaft 21, but preferably has impartedthereto a series of quick short strokes so that the water and clothes are-given a toroidal motion as indicated in Fig. 1. with the usual tub of about 20 gallon capacity, the stroke is about one and onehalf inches in length. and about 400 strokes per minute are imparted to the agitator.

The shaft 21 is oscillatable or vertically reciprocable within an outer rotatable shaft 28, which is secured to the tub l3. Suitable mechanism is provided for rotating the shaft 28 after the washing operation has been completed. Driving mechanism for the shafts 21 and 28 is wellknown, and is therefore not further described herein. A suitable mechanism for accomplishing this is disclosed in 7 my copending application Serial No. 269,594, filed April 24, 1939, of which this application is a continuation inpart. Reference is hereby made, if necessary, to said application for further disclosure.

The control of the washing operation and centrifuging operation may be manual or automatic. If automatic, the same may be accomplished by the automatic controls disclosed in my said copending application Serial No. 269,594.

During the washing action, a certain amount of fluid is forced out of casing 23 through openings l1 and returns through opening 20. Scum forming ingredients carried by such fluid can thus rise into the quiescent fluid in pocket 28 where .some of the scum may thus float and be preliminarily separated in an outer zone. It is discharged from the apparatus as soon as centrifugal action takes place without danger of deposit on the clothes. Thus a portion of the scum-forming substance is removed by this method.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. The method of washing articles in a container which comprises agitating a body of cleansing fluid and articles to be cleansed whereby the cleansing fluid is forced outwardly from the center of the container and then with the scum collected at the center rotating said body of the cleansing fluid and articles about said central axis at a suflicient speed to create a vortex in said body of fluid at thebottom of which said scum is accumulated, removing fluid and scum from the lower portion of said vortex, and centrifuging portions of remaining cleansing fluid from said articles.

2. The method of washing articles in a container which comprises agitating a body of cleansing fluid and articles to be cleansed whereby the cleansing fluid is forced outwardly from the central axis along the bottom wall of the container and'inwardly towards the central axis at the surface thus causing the scum to collect at the center of the container and then with the scum collected at the center rotating said body of the cleansing fluid and articles about said central axis at a'sufilcient speed to create a vortex in saidbody of fluid at the bottom of which said scum is accumulated, removing fluid and scum from the lower portion of said vortex, centrifuging portions of remaining cleansing fluid from said articles, confining the removed fluid and scum from the cleansed articles, and causing flow of the fluid and scum upwardly by centrifugal force.

JOHN B. DYER. 

